Stress & Weight Gain

You already know that feeling stressed out can make you eat more. But get this: A new study published in the journal Appetite found that just thinking about a stressful event in the future could cause you to eat more, too.

For the study, researchers divided 103 college-aged women into two groups: They told the first group that they would have to fill out a questionnaire about the workplace, and they told the second group that they would have to give a speech in front of a panel of judges about the workplace. Then, they gave both groups mini brownies to eat and took their blood samples. The women in the speech group ate more brownies than those in the questionnaire group.

Why? Turns out, the women in the speech group also had higher levels of ghrelin—that's your "hunger hormone"—than those who thought about a less stressful event. That suggests that merely thinking about something nerve-wracking (i.e., giving a speech) may be enough to spike levels of ghrelin, which could make you eat more overall. One thing worth noting: The study authors are quick to point out that, while thinking about a stressful situation ups your ghrelin levels, the effect is much, much stronger when you're actually experiencing something stressful.

Bottom line: Stress in any form isn't good if you're trying to lose weight—so check out our ways to relax instantly.

 

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